Zarban TTRPG
@zarbanttrpg.bsky.social
Aging nerd. I write a lot of junk about old-school D&D at Zarban.com. Ally to all disenfranchised peoples.
The OSE GM book has just 3 maps: a hex crawl, a city, & a dungeon. The PF2 core rules has 2: the world & the main realm. ShadowDark has zero. The 5e DMG has 11 but recommends you just reuse existing maps.
Why do games about exploring weird places put so little effort into helping GMs create them?
Why do games about exploring weird places put so little effort into helping GMs create them?
October 7, 2026 at 4:32 PM
The OSE GM book has just 3 maps: a hex crawl, a city, & a dungeon. The PF2 core rules has 2: the world & the main realm. ShadowDark has zero. The 5e DMG has 11 but recommends you just reuse existing maps.
Why do games about exploring weird places put so little effort into helping GMs create them?
Why do games about exploring weird places put so little effort into helping GMs create them?
You don't have to be an architect. You can just swipe this & put it in your adventure. You don't even have to draw it on your map. Just make a big rectangle & show the players the picture. Boom: it's the great hall of Candlebridge Palace.
October 7, 2026 at 4:11 AM
You don't have to be an architect. You can just swipe this & put it in your adventure. You don't even have to draw it on your map. Just make a big rectangle & show the players the picture. Boom: it's the great hall of Candlebridge Palace.
How does Pointy Hat (Antonio Demico) not have a Patreon account?
October 5, 2026 at 11:32 PM
How does Pointy Hat (Antonio Demico) not have a Patreon account?
I'm excited about the ecosystem developing around ShadowDark.
October 4, 2026 at 7:44 PM
I'm excited about the ecosystem developing around ShadowDark.
In more than 100 years of systematic archaeology, scientists only found seven +1 swords & three +2 swords... until two years ago, when they finally found a +5 Holy Avenger.
October 3, 2026 at 5:40 PM
In more than 100 years of systematic archaeology, scientists only found seven +1 swords & three +2 swords... until two years ago, when they finally found a +5 Holy Avenger.
Don't start your adventure in a tavern. END there. It's natural, & you can feed the players 3 leads to choose from for next time. Then—after you've written up the one they chose—they get the full background & start out. That makes it easy to have a meaningful encounter (not always combat) early on.
October 1, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Don't start your adventure in a tavern. END there. It's natural, & you can feed the players 3 leads to choose from for next time. Then—after you've written up the one they chose—they get the full background & start out. That makes it easy to have a meaningful encounter (not always combat) early on.
TSR's 1990 Campaign Sourcebook & Catacomb Guide:
- 50 pages of etiquette, bad DMs & players—2 F-bombs(!)
- 60 pages on creating campaigns, maps, & NPCs with no maps or tables
- 6 maps of real places—unsuitable for gaming
At one point, it suggests getting books on caves & castles FROM THE LIBRARY.🤷♂️
- 50 pages of etiquette, bad DMs & players—2 F-bombs(!)
- 60 pages on creating campaigns, maps, & NPCs with no maps or tables
- 6 maps of real places—unsuitable for gaming
At one point, it suggests getting books on caves & castles FROM THE LIBRARY.🤷♂️
September 30, 2026 at 4:33 PM
TSR's 1990 Campaign Sourcebook & Catacomb Guide:
- 50 pages of etiquette, bad DMs & players—2 F-bombs(!)
- 60 pages on creating campaigns, maps, & NPCs with no maps or tables
- 6 maps of real places—unsuitable for gaming
At one point, it suggests getting books on caves & castles FROM THE LIBRARY.🤷♂️
- 50 pages of etiquette, bad DMs & players—2 F-bombs(!)
- 60 pages on creating campaigns, maps, & NPCs with no maps or tables
- 6 maps of real places—unsuitable for gaming
At one point, it suggests getting books on caves & castles FROM THE LIBRARY.🤷♂️
Why would you use "Coin" as your metacurrency? That's CURRENCY.
September 28, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Why would you use "Coin" as your metacurrency? That's CURRENCY.
Players love to be in the right. Let the heroes…
- Gather evidence of a crime or prove their own innocence.
- Prove they have/were granted the right to do something.
- Prove something about the existence of a certain monster.
Let the pedants be pedantic in-game. Say the spectators applaud! #Drama
- Gather evidence of a crime or prove their own innocence.
- Prove they have/were granted the right to do something.
- Prove something about the existence of a certain monster.
Let the pedants be pedantic in-game. Say the spectators applaud! #Drama
September 27, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Players love to be in the right. Let the heroes…
- Gather evidence of a crime or prove their own innocence.
- Prove they have/were granted the right to do something.
- Prove something about the existence of a certain monster.
Let the pedants be pedantic in-game. Say the spectators applaud! #Drama
- Gather evidence of a crime or prove their own innocence.
- Prove they have/were granted the right to do something.
- Prove something about the existence of a certain monster.
Let the pedants be pedantic in-game. Say the spectators applaud! #Drama
Trying to up my dungeon design game. Every video game discussion about level design says the same stuff but doesn't give many examples. The best I find come from Tommy Norberg's tweets(?) Here, 1-3 are inspired by him.
In short: provide mechanics to throw opponents & places for that (or archery).
In short: provide mechanics to throw opponents & places for that (or archery).
September 24, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Trying to up my dungeon design game. Every video game discussion about level design says the same stuff but doesn't give many examples. The best I find come from Tommy Norberg's tweets(?) Here, 1-3 are inspired by him.
In short: provide mechanics to throw opponents & places for that (or archery).
In short: provide mechanics to throw opponents & places for that (or archery).
"Puzzles don't make sense in a dungeon."
You enter the dusty, wood-paneled chapel. There's a loft above the altar with a glint of gold from your torch in a shadowy niche.
How do you get up there? Levitate? Climb? One of the wall panels swings in—a concealed door to a tiny, winding staircase.
You enter the dusty, wood-paneled chapel. There's a loft above the altar with a glint of gold from your torch in a shadowy niche.
How do you get up there? Levitate? Climb? One of the wall panels swings in—a concealed door to a tiny, winding staircase.
September 22, 2026 at 9:12 PM
"Puzzles don't make sense in a dungeon."
You enter the dusty, wood-paneled chapel. There's a loft above the altar with a glint of gold from your torch in a shadowy niche.
How do you get up there? Levitate? Climb? One of the wall panels swings in—a concealed door to a tiny, winding staircase.
You enter the dusty, wood-paneled chapel. There's a loft above the altar with a glint of gold from your torch in a shadowy niche.
How do you get up there? Levitate? Climb? One of the wall panels swings in—a concealed door to a tiny, winding staircase.
"Mount Doom" is a little on the nose? How do you feel about "Death Valley"?
if you ever struggle with names when worldbuilding just remember there's a whole massive mountain range called The Rockies
September 22, 2026 at 6:51 PM
"Mount Doom" is a little on the nose? How do you feel about "Death Valley"?
Ask your players to write down a magic item appropriate for their current level that they’d like to have. But don’t just seed your next adventure with them. Mention them as part of your adventure leads, so they have to choose which lead—& item—to pursue.
September 21, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Ask your players to write down a magic item appropriate for their current level that they’d like to have. But don’t just seed your next adventure with them. Mention them as part of your adventure leads, so they have to choose which lead—& item—to pursue.
My favorite idea for a campaign setting is one with realms that have distinct Euro flavors, so you can play a character named Alric Fairdale or Jalêvre Yprênne or Vintero Coronus. Alric has seen the firedrake & troll, Jalêvre the tarasque & gargoyle, & Vintero the hydra & cockatrice.
September 16, 2026 at 1:45 AM
My favorite idea for a campaign setting is one with realms that have distinct Euro flavors, so you can play a character named Alric Fairdale or Jalêvre Yprênne or Vintero Coronus. Alric has seen the firedrake & troll, Jalêvre the tarasque & gargoyle, & Vintero the hydra & cockatrice.
A fun thing to do would be to tell the cleric that there’s ONLY good & evil but tell the druid that neutrality DOES exist. The cleric can hold that a creature’s true nature will come out but that creatures can change. And the druid can hold that neutral creatures aren’t changing, just situational.
September 15, 2026 at 10:24 PM
A fun thing to do would be to tell the cleric that there’s ONLY good & evil but tell the druid that neutrality DOES exist. The cleric can hold that a creature’s true nature will come out but that creatures can change. And the druid can hold that neutral creatures aren’t changing, just situational.
1-mile hex is 0.86 sq miles
3-mile hex is 7.8 sq miles
6-mile hex is 31.2 sq miles
9-mile hex is 70.1 sq miles
3-mile hex is 7.8 sq miles
6-mile hex is 31.2 sq miles
9-mile hex is 70.1 sq miles
September 15, 2026 at 12:06 AM
1-mile hex is 0.86 sq miles
3-mile hex is 7.8 sq miles
6-mile hex is 31.2 sq miles
9-mile hex is 70.1 sq miles
3-mile hex is 7.8 sq miles
6-mile hex is 31.2 sq miles
9-mile hex is 70.1 sq miles
These are 5-mile hexes. That means this region is a quarter of the size of Ireland. 🤷♂️
September 14, 2026 at 3:57 AM
These are 5-mile hexes. That means this region is a quarter of the size of Ireland. 🤷♂️
What’s the best catalog of clothing, gear, houses, ships, etc that adventurers could buy?
September 13, 2026 at 9:26 PM
What’s the best catalog of clothing, gear, houses, ships, etc that adventurers could buy?
Reposted by Zarban TTRPG
One fun inventory management thing I used once: before heading out to the dungeon, pay the upkeep fee on gear to equip it. Doesn't matter if you end up not using it, just putting on the armor or bringing the rope required the upkeep!
To make it easy, it was just 1/10 of the cost of the thing.
To make it easy, it was just 1/10 of the cost of the thing.
September 11, 2026 at 2:09 PM
One fun inventory management thing I used once: before heading out to the dungeon, pay the upkeep fee on gear to equip it. Doesn't matter if you end up not using it, just putting on the armor or bringing the rope required the upkeep!
To make it easy, it was just 1/10 of the cost of the thing.
To make it easy, it was just 1/10 of the cost of the thing.
Idea: instead of combat bonuses, you can raise an attack's result tier: miss (low roll), blocked, hit, crit. To hit AC 14, you need to roll nat 14+ or use a boost or 2. NO MATH.
Advantage/disadvantage still work. Some penalties raise the opponent's AC.
Boosts are gained per encounter for…
Advantage/disadvantage still work. Some penalties raise the opponent's AC.
Boosts are gained per encounter for…
September 9, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Idea: instead of combat bonuses, you can raise an attack's result tier: miss (low roll), blocked, hit, crit. To hit AC 14, you need to roll nat 14+ or use a boost or 2. NO MATH.
Advantage/disadvantage still work. Some penalties raise the opponent's AC.
Boosts are gained per encounter for…
Advantage/disadvantage still work. Some penalties raise the opponent's AC.
Boosts are gained per encounter for…
Imagine if Necrotic Gnome made a new campaign setting like Dolmenwood but more traditional & included an old-school system like OSE Advanced but with d20, roll-high elements to make 5e kids more comfortable. Seems like an obvious win.
September 6, 2026 at 6:20 PM
Imagine if Necrotic Gnome made a new campaign setting like Dolmenwood but more traditional & included an old-school system like OSE Advanced but with d20, roll-high elements to make 5e kids more comfortable. Seems like an obvious win.
My stand-up comedy act consists of just reading bad, old RPG rules. Here’s a piece of D&D 2e’s 8 paragraphs on how to open an unlocked door.
September 5, 2026 at 9:53 PM
My stand-up comedy act consists of just reading bad, old RPG rules. Here’s a piece of D&D 2e’s 8 paragraphs on how to open an unlocked door.
Some YouTubers are only good at reading a script. Make your point & give me something actionable.
September 5, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Some YouTubers are only good at reading a script. Make your point & give me something actionable.
A cool thing would be a clock with the numbers 1 to 100 around the outside, so you could just look at the second hand & get a random number.
September 4, 2026 at 3:30 AM
A cool thing would be a clock with the numbers 1 to 100 around the outside, so you could just look at the second hand & get a random number.
Hey, include pronunciation guides in your published material. Gygax didn't do it, & we got a whole generation of nerds that mispronounced names & slightly unusual words.
August 30, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Hey, include pronunciation guides in your published material. Gygax didn't do it, & we got a whole generation of nerds that mispronounced names & slightly unusual words.